


Right Place

by dahdeemohn



Series: When Worlds Collide [5]
Category: World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Plants, if you wanted to read too far into something, vague implications
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-03
Updated: 2016-06-03
Packaged: 2018-07-12 01:08:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,820
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7078234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dahdeemohn/pseuds/dahdeemohn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dean spends some time at Sami's after mental health concerns arise, discusses plants with Finn, and deals with a lot of self-doubt issues that linger from previous friendships.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Right Place

Due to Sami’s insistence, Dean found himself in Orlando, Florida.

Seth had been rumored to return in June, so when he showed up at the end of Extreme Rules, Dean wasn’t mentally prepared to confront that particular source of stress; he wasn’t prepared to see Roman immediately drop everything the following two Raws just to give Seth attention, attention that Dean deserved and spent months pretending that he was perfectly fine with not being on the receiving end of. Nor was Dean prepared for the emotional backlash, the noticeable ticks that Sami seemed to always pick up on being totally uncontrollable. The bleeding cuticles were a tell-tale sign. Dean would’ve picked at his fingernails until they were torn off completely if left unchecked.

But then he had to go and fucking cry. It wasn’t even a wimpy sad-cry, it was from frustration and combating overwhelming urges to relapse into something self-destructive, so Sami called Finn right before Smackdown and explained the situation. Finn was apparently OK with it, and despite Dean hissing that he didn’t need a babysitter, he still got on board the plane with Sami after the show. Still got off the plane with him. Still got into the cab. Still didn’t need a babysitter.

And now he was in Florida. Back with the swamp people. Great.

Thankfully, Sami and Finn lived in some kind of luxury unit where they kept the air conditioning cranked, so at the very least it was livable, unlike his own days at FCW. Despite the frequent reassurances that he was welcome, Dean felt like an invader. It started as soon as they arrived which caused Finn to stir awake and come out into the living room to investigate. The way that they greeted one another, the way that Sami lit up the moment that he laid eyes on Finn, how they embraced and kissed was so tender and intimate, the hand that reached up and rested on the back of Sami’s head to cradle it; even though Dean had seen them do this so many times in shared hotel rooms when Finn would tag along for a few shows, he felt like he was now violating something sacred. He excused himself to use the bathroom, which he didn’t even know the location of, just to give them privacy.

The bathroom itself offered no further comfort, as it was decorated with personal mementos and lacked the sterile neutrality that hotels provided. It was hard to ground yourself when an orca whale faucet tap cover stared at you while you tried to take a leak. Dean looked at some of the random black pots that sat around, each with a funny name that was an attempt at wordplay, reading the labels and sniffing the contents; he couldn’t recall if Sami or Finn were vegans, but they sure had a lot of vegan products that they washed with. One of the salt scrubs had vodka as an ingredient and smelled delicious, and Dean wondered if Sami avoided that one.

“Hey, everything alright in there?” Sami’s voice came through from the other side of the door as he knocked. How much time had passed? 

“Yeah, finishing up now.” Dean flushed, then washed and dried his hands on a Han Solo towel that he noticed had a corresponding Princess Leia towel, one embroidered with “I love you” and the other with “I know”. As he exited the bathroom, Sami gave him a concerned look. “What? I was just admiring your decor. That a crime?”

“Nah, I just…” Sami paused. “Lemme show you the guest room.”

“Alright.” Dean followed Sami across the living room and through a doorway on the other side. A light switch was flicked and the room was illuminated.

“Oh good, it’s not a total disaster,” Sami chuckled. Some sort of half-finished Lego structure sat on the desk, which meant the rumors of Finn’s affinity towards the plastic bricks wasn’t an exaggeration. Action figures sat on shelving units that mostly contained comics and vinyls, and Dean spotted one of himself, which he ignored. At least it wasn’t one of the cheap, dopey looking ones. There were also a lot of plants, which was oddly comforting. As Dean took a seat on the bed, examining the space themed comforter, Sami cleared his throat. “So, Finn went back to bed-”

“I gotcha. Night, man.” Dean went to wave him off, but Sami shook his head.

“That’s not what I meant. Look, I know that you don’t like to talk about, but if you need to vent or whatever, I’m here to listen. Or be vented at. Whichever you prefer.”

“Oh.” Dean scratched at his arm, and stopped when he caught Sami staring. “Not much to talk about, y’know? My brain’s just a fucking mess, doesn’t process shit too good.”

“Right.” Sami nodded, now leaned up against the door frame.

“An’ sometimes it gets too noisy, and I gotta find ways to shut it up. Otherwise I don’t eat or sleep and then I can’t do my job. You know how that goes.” Dean shrugged.

“I do. That’s why I just want you to know that I’m here. In case you ever need me.”

“Yeah. Thanks. Now get going, your boyfriend misses you.”

“Sure. Make yourself at home, OK? Let me know if you need anything at all.” Sami still hadn’t turned around to leave yet.

“Fuckin’ hell Sami, scat! Go have hot sweaty man-sex or whatever it is that you do here.” That seemed to get him to finally move.

“Shut up, Dean!” Sami huffed before he took off, and Dean responded with an indignant “WHAT?!” before he snickered and fully reclined onto the mattress. What a prude. What a goofy, bleeding heart, thoughtful, generous prude.

The next morning, Dean was awoken by a loud noise that was a combination of grinding and whining, and it took some time for him to remember where he was. Right. He was in some sort of man-child -or rather man-children- habitat, and if he wasn’t mistaken he had seen glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling before he had passed out. Sami might have been the weirdest guy that he had ever known. Or maybe it was all Finn’s doing. Nerds. 

After the horrid noise died down, some hints of conversation could be heard, something about “I gotta go”, followed by “I love you” being exchanged a few times, then the front door opened and closed. Then there was humming, which sounded like maybe a Roy Orbison tune. At least someone around here had good taste. It was probably safe to get up now. Why wouldn’t it have been safe in the first place? Whatever. He needed coffee.

Dean sat up and stretched, then got out of the bed and made his way into the living room, taking note of each plant as he walked past them; there were mostly succulents or varieties of vine species with wavy leaves, nothing with flowers aside an odd cactus here and there that was in bloom. If Sami had interest in plants, he never mentioned it before. Maybe it was Finn’s hobby. Speaking of which, as Dean turned the corner to walk into the kitchen, ready to take full advantage of the the offer to make himself at home, he unexpectedly encountered Finn with only a towel wrapped around his waist.

“Oh! Dean, hi,” Finn smiled politely, obviously not entirely comfortable, despite being in his own home. The sensation of being an invader crept back through Dean’s nerves, and he started to pick at his stubble. The countertop was suddenly very fascinating, and he caught sight of a blender, which was likely the source of the noise from earlier. 

“Morning, Finn.” It was weird. It was weird seeing his friend’s significant other, who was probably also his friend, mostly undressed in his own home. A home that seemed warm and inviting and somewhere that should feel good to spend time at, but Dean wasn’t used to anywhere that felt like ‘home’. 

“Uh, sorry. I just finished working out and I...let me go get dressed. Feel free to make yourself some breakfast. Or I can make us some breakfast, if you’d like.” Finn scurried to get past Dean, who moved to the side to allow him through.

“I can figure it out!” Dean called out as he opened a cabinet and poked through it, successfully locating a pound of hazelnut flavored coffee that sat towards the back. Thankfully there were already measuring cups by the coffeemaker, and he got to work on brewing. In another cabinet he found a mish-mash collection of mugs, some with cartoon characters and others with geographic locations on them. “Hey, you gonna want coffee?” 

“I’d love some!” Finn called back. “Which kind are you making?”

“Just some hazelnut stuff that I found. You want something else?”

“No, that’s great. It’s Red Barn, right? 

“Looks it.”

“I thought that we were out of that stuff, we go through it a lot. I’m not huge on flavored coffees, but it’s quite fantastic.” Finn reappeared wearing shorts and a shirt with a pug on it. 

“Hey, I’ll drink whatever. As long as it’s hot and caffeinated.” Dean smiled, feeling the need to reassure Finn that he was perfectly fine, that he wasn’t going to intrude or be a waste of resources or do anything that would be threatening in his home. That he could be trusted. That he was a friend. Did Finn think that he was a threat? He seemed a lot more relaxed now than a few moments prior. Everything would be fine. Don’t overthink this. “So uh...where’s Sami?”

“He has an annual physical that he had forgotten about scheduling, so he’ll be back in an hour or so; possibly longer, since he’s going to the grocery store right after.” Finn started rummaging through the fridge. “I’m afraid that we’re running low on food right now. May I interest you in a bagel for the time being? I think I’ve got an egg here as well...” 

“That’s fine. I’m not even that hungry!” Dean’s stomach growled on cue and Finn laughed.

“You’re a terrible liar. You and Sami both. Have a seat, I’ll fix up something for ya.”

“Thanks.” Dean sheepishly grinned and took Finn’s suggestion, but the guilt once again welled up. Finn shouldn’t be cooking for him, and Dean shouldn’t be eating their food. Why did he ask about Sami? Was that strange? Was it his business? Was Finn suspicious about the amount of time that he and Sami spent together? Why would that be a cause for suspicion? They were just friends. These were Dean’s friends, and this was a safe space. Sami said so. But what if Finn didn’t like Dean, or thought that he was a burden? What if he told Sami to stop spending time with him? What if he lost another friend because he was too much to deal with or not enough and then everyone was right and-

“Here you go.” Finn placed a plate in front of Dean, on it a bagel that sandwiched a fried egg and melted cheese, and a mug as well full of coffee. Dean stared down at it as a carton of cream and a small glass jar full of sugar were placed next to the mug. It all looked delicious.

“Shit, thanks man.” 

“Not a problem.” Finn smiled, a genuine one and not that shy polite one. The bagel was consumed within just a few bites, and Finn continued to apologize for not having anything better to serve.

“Are you kidding me? This is great!” Dean shoved the last bit into his mouth while he poured some of the cream into his coffee. “I don’t eat a lot of homemade meals, don’t have the time or energy. Like I know how to cook, but it’s tough when you’re on the road all the time.” 

“That’s entirely understandable.” Finn took a sip from his own mug, and Dean started to glance around. On the fridge was artwork of ‘Balor’, a lot of which were drawn in crayon and he realized that it was probably fan art from little kids, and on the wall that the kitchen table was placed against was a few framed photographs, some of which were friends and co-workers that he recognized, but most of which were of Finn and Sami together. Must be nice. Atop the cabinets sat a pot English ivy that dangled over the side and caught a little bit of sunlight from the window that it sat near.

“You the one that’s into plants?”

“I am!” Finn confirmed. “It started as a simple thing a number of years ago, something from my nan as a way to feel close to home whilst I was overseas. I like havin’ them around, though. I try to stick to ones that aren’t high maintenance, since my schedule’s all over the place now. Sami likes to tease me when I bring a new one home.”

“Yeah well, Sami made fun of me whenever I’d carry one around from show-to-show, but you’re right, it’s sorta comforting.”

“I saw that! I’m awfully sorry about Mitch.”

“Aw, thanks.” Dean laughed at Finn’s sympathetic tone. “Honestly, it’s fine. Nattie rescued it and we ended up repotting it. Jericho’s a dumbass, claiming that he got the ‘remains’ or whatever. Mitch is much safer in a stationary place now.” 

“Well thank goodness.”

“I keep an air plant on hand now, just outta habit. It’s nice to have something to look after.” 

“What’s an air plant?”

“Oh, it’s the coolest thing!” Dean stood up and retrieved his luggage from the living room, then unzipped a side pocket and pulled out a small container, which he popped open and revealed that looked like a thick cluster of grass connected at the base and handed it over to Finn.

“Why isn’t it planted?”

“It doesn’t gain nutrients from its roots, you just mist it or soak the leaves in water once a week and that’s it. Sometimes people will put ‘em in a terrarium, make all kinds of cool shit, but it isn’t necessary.” Dean enthusiastically explained while Finn handled the tiny plant with care. “They seem like the kinda thing that you’d have a bunch of, actually.” 

“Oh, absolutely! I should see if I can get a few, maybe make as diorama.”

“Careful, Sami might poke fun at you if he finds out. Might get mad at me for telling you about ‘em.”

“He might, but he’d end up probably buying most of them for me as gifts. It’s why we have so many succulents, he gives me a lot of tiny ones in lieu of flowers and I put them together after I’ve collected a few make little gardens.”

“Huh.” Dean snorted, yet his expression was soft. There was silence, and absently he remarked. “Y’know, you’re really lucky to have him.”

“I know.” Finn looked up, his smile warm, and Dean’s blood ran cold.

“‘M sorry, that…”

“What?” Finn suddenly looked confused.

“N-nothing. That was a...a really stupid thing to say. Of course you knew that. Wasn’t tryna say that you didn’t. And he loves you. Like a lot. A fuckton. You probably knew that, too. Fuck.” Goddammit. Why did he sound so stupid? What the hell was he trying to even say in the first place? He was intruding. An invader. He was fucking up one of the only friendships that he had left. 

A hand gently touched his arm, and it took an active effort to not launch himself backwards to get away from it. Finn’s voice was soft. “I’m glad to hear that, especially from someone that he values so much.” 

“Is it OK that I’m here?” Dean looked up straight into Finn’s eyes, his voice teetering on frantic and brow furrowed with concern.

“Yes, you’re welcome here. You’re always welcome here.” Finn nodded slowly, and took his hand back, likely due to the tension that was felt under it. “C’mon, let’s go relocate to the sofa. Much more comfortable there, and we can put something mindless on for a while.”

“That sounds really good right now.” Dean rubbed his forehead, then stood up and followed Finn’s lead. The History Channel was selected, another program about aliens, and Dean found it easy to sink in the abundant amount of cushions and pillows. “Hey.”

“Hm?” Finn looked over.

“I’m sorry that I’m such a mess. That I make shit uncomfortable. I’m tryna not to do that, I don’t know how to person sometimes. All the time.” 

“Trust me,” Finn gently laughed, “You’re in the right place, then. You’re fine.”

Later, Sami returned home with armloads of groceries, proudly declaring his clean bill of health, and it seemed less awful for Dean to be present when touching or kissing or anything affectionate happened between his hosts. 

His friends.


End file.
